Arts, Briefly; Department of No Respect

By CATHERINE BILLEY; Compiled by Lawrence Van Gelder

Published: March 3, 2005

The estate of the comedian Rodney Dangerfield and his Paper Clip Productions company have been sued over claims of breach of contract and negligent misrepresentations stemming from a failed distribution agreement with a Los Angeles producer, Schwartz & Co., made a year before Mr. Dangerfield died, on Oct. 5. The suit, filed on Feb. 10 in Los Angeles County Superior Court, maintains that Mr. Dangerfield and Paper Clip Productions agreed in September 2003 to provide exclusive broadcast rights to seven television specials to be distributed by Schwartz. Fifteen days before the specials were to begin, however, Schwartz says it learned the rights had been given to HBO, forcing it to cancel contracts with DirecTV and others. Schwartz is suing for about $1.3 million for distribution fees it would have earned and other costs. Lawyers for the defendants said that the claims were without merit and that the case would be defended vigorously. CATHERINE BILLEY